Once Upon A Memory
by HyourinmaruIce
Summary: This is basically introducing a new character into Storybrooke! Enter Elizabethe... she has her own past and everything ties back to the Dark One, just as it does with every other fairytale. There will be Rumbelle, Red Cricket, and a bit of various other pairings I'm sure you'll appreciate. T for now.
1. A brief beginning

She wept. Bitter sweet emotions clawing into her skin as she realized what she'd given up. It was tremendous, this guilt, it sunk deep into her soul and taught her one thing – never trust a Dark One. Never, ever.

And so she could never speak to her dearest brother again. Never tell him she loved him, never comfort him when he broke. He was alone now... and she could never be there for him. So, as she sat in the middle of a battlefield strewn with bodies while the rain poured, she wept. The rain covered her tears though, and she looked like just another soldier who had given up a part of themselves.

Mr. Gold had always been a ruthless business man. He always sought what was his and right now this house was his. After kicking out the stupid mouse that lived there, in this world he was Jack, he set about cleaning it out. Useless junk lay everywhere, and he was sure no one would mind him throwing it away. Even Regina had been begging him to get rid of the smell that came off these walls.

Jack would go live with Peter and he would be stuck with their mess. Great.

He idly walked through the house to check for anything of importance, not really looking. There was little to sell in this heap of junk. Sighing to himself, he bent down to pick up a bracelet that probably belonged to Jack's friend. It was blue crystals of every shape and size, all strung together. Jack had many friends, but only one female one. Though, amazingly, they were not considered boyfriend and girlfriend. The bracelet would give Gold a chance to meet her.

One of the few in town he hasn't had the pleasure of seeing cross his threshold. He'd have to get her number from Jack... Musing to himself, Mr. Gold left.


	2. It's Just Business

Elizabethe breathed steadily for a few moments, counting up to twenty in her head. As she turned around, she looked fleetingly at the doorway next to her. It lead to their house. It was modest, a little hut with only one room, but it was home.

She knew he wouldn't be there. He never was. He preferred the sheep... for some reason he was always with his sheep...or their herd dogs. Even during hide and seek when he knew it would get him caught.

Laughing to herself, she sprinted around the side and saw him lying down in the middle of the field. The open field had little in it, other then swaying grass and a few sheep milling around. Did he think she couldn't see him in the grass? He should know better, she had the best eyesight in the village.

"Little one! What are you doing?" She laughed and ran up to her brother, offering a single hand.

He grinned up at her, teeth that weren't as white as they should be glinted. Spreading out a bit more, he took the hand and tugged sharply. While she was strong, her brother had always been stronger, and so she tumbled down besides him. Squirming around for a few seconds, she ended up on her side, facing him. Her dress was extremely uncomfortable at times like these.

He turned to her, now lying on his side and letting his loose tunic pool around his waist, "I was watching the clouds..."

His eyes, so bright and happy, brightened just looking at her. She thought he was so lucky to get the better eye color. Hers were green... not that that wasn't a fantastic color. She had eyes that could pierce anyone, and everyone first saw her eyes when they looked at her. No, it wasn't that. It was that his eyes were so entrancing. One could get lost watching the subtle colors within transform his eyes. They changed really.

When he was happy, as he was now, they were a soft brown that reminded you of the soft bark on he was angry, as he had been when they were forced to come here and abandon over half their flock, his eyes turned sharp with a flash of gold to accent them. She didn't know where the gold had come from, just as she didn't know where the birth mark in her left eye came from, but an old witch had said that these things meant they were destined for great things. She certainly hoped so.

Watching her brother explain the shapes he had seen in the clouds reminded her of what she had to do. She was 18 now... far beyond betrothal age. She needed to marry... and take care of her brother. She'd always wanted true love, and had always told her brother to seek it, but sometimes it wasn't meant to be. A spinner had taken them in after their parents... left... and this spinner's family loathed taking care of someone that should be with her own family by now.

Her brother didn't understand though. She doubted he ever would. He was a sucker for a good love story, even when he was a baby he'd loved them.

"Sis?" She snapped out of her reverie.

"Yeah little one?" she watched concern crease his forehead. His eyes developed a tinge of something that made her stomach knot.

"Are you going to marry someone?" he asked after a few halting seconds.

She tried to mask her surprise, not knowing when he had changed the subject. Yet, with all the experience she had at hiding her emotions, she saw that he saw it in her eyes. The damning evidence that was her eyes. So readable to him.

"Why?" his question was so innocent. He wasn't really innocent anymore though... how old was he again? When had his last birthday been?

She turned away from him and stared at the sky. The clouds had all but disappeared in the mid day sun.. and yet she felt no warmth from its rays. Just a cold feeling that penetrated her bones. She felt him watching her, imagined the betrayal he must have been feeling. She felt the tears begin to slid down her cheeks.

"Is it my fault?" his voice came out as barely a whisper, it was soft and harsh. He blamed himself.

Her head snapped back to look at him.

"Don't you dare!" She felt her voice begin to fling its sound upwards. It went up when she was upset.

"Then why?" his eyes still told of concern, the lips pressed together and the furrowed brow told confusion.

She pulled him to her then, in the soft grass of midsummer, and cried out why into his ears. She buried her face into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around her dear brother. Her brother that she was bound to lose to some pretty girl one day. Her brother that had always looked up to her... the one she adored as if he was her own kid. His sweet face buried itself in her shoulder and she could feel his tears too.


	3. Starting with a Phone Call

Jack was terrified of the man before him. Why would he want Emily's number?

Mr. Gold took a great delight in watching Jack tremble, but he had business to get to.

"The number please?" He extended his hand and raised one eyebrow in question, daring Jack to go against him.

Squeaking a simple protest, Jack handed over a sticky note and then ran out of the shop, probably ran all the way back to Billy... oh wait... Billy was dead. Jack's place then.

Mr. Gold nodded to himself and glanced at the 7 digits written for him in the mice's scrawl. He scowled, one could at least try to make it look like they have nice handwriting. Jesus, he could barely read this.

Grumbling more to himself then at Jack, he jabbed the corresponding numbers on his iphone and held the device up to his ear. Sitting behind his counter, he stared absently at a necklace that had come into his shop last week. It was fine silver, very expensive.

A click told him someone had picked up the phone.

"Hello?" He breathed as he heard a loud bang in the background.

"JESUS! Jack! Get out of here... no I'm fine... no I haven't made any deals with anyone. Why? Who is Mister Gold? Go AWAY!"

Mr. Gold raised an eyebrow to himself. It was surprising he had never met this person, but evidently this person didn't even know who he was.

"I'm sorry... My crazy friend Jack seems to have it in his head that someone is going to eat me alive... what can I do for you?"

Mr. Gold blinked at the voice, it certainly sounded familiar.

"I was wondering why, as I own almost every property in town, I have never come to meet you," It wasn't a threat, but it could surely be taken for one if she wished it to.

"Oh... that Gold," He could feel her breathe against the phone, not in panic, but in something he would almost call nervousness, "Sorry, I own my own property in the woods,"

"Ah,"

She hesitated, but he could tell she wanted to know more, "Mind if I stop by sometime... I'm sure it would be best for the both of us if we met. We're probably neighbors after all,"

He nodded, knowing she couldn't see him, and responded with as cordial a tone as he could muster, "Indeed, you can come by my shop anytime. I am here most days,"

He heard her release a breathe, "Alright, goodbye then,"

"Good bye,"

The conversation left him staring at the phone. Who was this person?


	4. Hello Zoso

Her brother didn't leave her alone after that. He savored every moment, every touch or caress he received. She understood him, and accepted it… even if she couldn't get to her current suitor without him seeing.

When she returned home that day from the market, he watched her. His eyes followed her movements as she prepared dinner and bathed the baby the spinner's wife had given birth to recently. It cried in her arms as she dried if off with a towel her brother had made.

Setting the baby to sleep on the bed in the corner, she turned to him. She watched him as he watched her and knew exactly what he wanted. She looked away from his eyes, broke the bridge that was created when she looked at his swirling brown eyes, and went to stir the soup. A soup of cabbages and carrots.

She felt his gaze intensify and bore into her back.

"Him? That boorish, brainless idiot?" His voice spoke volumes of how he felt. So many emotions were tied into that voice. He had always had layers within his words. These were softly spoken but angry, hard and malicious.

"Yes… no one else will marry me," she didn't look at him, she couldn't look at him.

"You deserve better," his voice softened in tone, becoming concerned.

"I do not, he is a fine young man-"he didn't even let her finish, and his tone hardened again.

"No, he isn't. He hunts and kills animals for fun, he burns books in his fireplace…. He treats knowledge as if it's nothing…" his voice was a rising crescendo, "He yells at women and forces them to do what he wants! What makes you think he won't abuse you?! Then what will I do?! YOU'RE EVERY THING TO ME AND YOU ARE GOING TO THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY!"

She couldn't face him. She heard the tears in his voice, felt the vibrations of his foot stomping the ground, and knew, from what she knew of him, that he was gesturing frantically. When he was done, she could hear the baby whine, crying to be put back to sleep. The heavy breathing that came was from her brother though, and she could hear the heaving of his chest as he tried to control the sobs that escaped his throat.

She felt tears prick her eyes.

His next words burned, "And you don't care,"

She turned then… but he was already gone.

She turned back and took the soup off the open flame, and then curled up on the dirt floor and wept.

"DARK ONE!" He called out. He knew how to save his sister; even if she refused it… he would help her.

"DARK ONE!"

"You don't need to yell,"

He spun on his heel and watched a man, cloaked in a cloak as black as night, approach him. They stood in the forest, too deep for breeze to touch them, and yet he felt his hair move on his head. He felt a shiver as something cold sunk into his skin, and he knew who he stood before.

"What do you want boy?" the Dark One stopped advancing. He could feel the Dark One's eyes peering at him from under that hood.

"I want my sister to be happy," He stood straighter, using his natural courage to appear brave when every fiber of his body shook from fright.

"And what do I get?"

"Whatever you want,"

The Dark One watched him as minutes ticked by. He felt his courage begin to slip from his being.

"Your courage,"

He blinked, "What?"

"That courage that makes you strong, that makes you better than your father. I want your courage,"

He held his head and looked at the man called the Dark One. He thought of what that might do… not much obviously. Courage was only used on the battle field or when facing an enemy…

"Alright, I will give you my courage as long as my sister is happy,"

The Dark One then extended a hand, with a vial in it.

"Drink this when your sister is at her most miserable, and it will change your destiny. It will change the course of time and it will give me your courage. Be careful if you use it,"

He reached out and took the item from a wrinkled hand, and then blinked as the Dark One disappeared. He stared at the offending item and began to wonder… when was his sister going to be at her most miserable?

She would be most miserable on her wedding day.

Elizabethe stared at him. He had come back happy. They never fought and ended up happy afterwards; but here he was, and he was happy.

In fact, he was bouncing around the room and laughing as he swung the baby on his hip.

"Little one?" she asked, gently stepping towards her little brother, reaching out with one hand.

"I think I'm a bit old for that nickname now Sis…." He glanced at her, a mischievous smile on his face. His brown eyes sparkled.

She smiled then, "I suppose so,"

She smiled, soft and sweet. She knew they might not look like brother and sister, but they were closer in their bond than most. He was right, they were growing up.

"What do I call my little brother then hmm? I've called you little one for quite some time now," she tilted her head and wiped her hands on her apron, watching as he gently put the babe to sleep.

"I suppose you have," He turned and smiled at her… there was something in his eyes that told her he had done something… but now was not the time to dredge whatever is was up. "How about a nickname? Hmm?"

"A nickname..." A malicious smile grew on her features as her eyes sparked with glee, "Rump then,"

He gaped at her, "Not that sis!"

She giggled a high-pitch giggle that sounded a little mischievous in itself, "Then Stilt?"

He glared at her playfully, "Maybe I'll call you Ezzy,"

She played along and put a hand over her heart as she gaped mockingly at him, "You wound me,"

He bowed low to try and cover up his grin, but they both knew he was happy.

"Come on Rum, I wanna show you something,"

He stood up quickly and blinked as his sister dragged him out to his pasture.

She watched him and then flopped back onto soft grass that was slightly damp from sunset.

He lay down beside her and listened as she taught him the stars. Each one had a name, and each one made his sister happier and happier.

He hoped her marriage was on a starless night with no moon... or else he wouldn't know if she was truly miserable.


End file.
